The present invention relates to a conveyor. In particular, the present invention relates to a conveyor for conveying articles on an automatic wrapping machine, to which the following description refers purely by way of example.
Known automatic wrapping machines normally comprise a number of conveyors arranged in succession and defining a path for the articles. Each conveyor comprises pockets for housing the articles, which are transferred from one conveyor to the next. More specifically, known automatic machines comprise an input conveyor for receiving the articles to be wrapped, and an output conveyor for unloading the wrapped articles.
The conveyors of known automatic machines are normally step-operated, while more recent machines are equipped with continuously-operated conveyors. This important innovation, while enabling higher output of more recent automatic machines as compared with those featuring step-operated conveyors, has also complicated transfer of the articles from one conveyor to the next. That is, transferring articles between two continuously-operated conveyors calls for setting the pockets of the two substantially tangent conveyors to given positions for given lengths of time at a transfer station, which in turn calls for relatively complex actuating mechanisms.
Moreover, some articles cannot be supplied continuously on account of the fragile nature or other particular characteristics of the articles, so that the machines are equipped with both continuously- and step-operated conveyors, thus complicating transfer of the articles from one conveyor to the next.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a conveyor designed to eliminate the aforementioned drawbacks, and which, in particular, is straightforward mechanically.
According to the present invention, there is provided a conveyor for conveying articles and comprising a number of pockets movable along a path; said conveyor being characterized by comprising at least one primary of a linear electric motor located along at least one portion of said path; and a secondary of said linear electric motor associated with each pocket to feed the, pocket along said portion of the path.
Using a magnetic field to propel the pockets of the conveyor provides, on the one hand, for imparting any shape to the path of conveyor without recourse to complex mechanisms, and, on the other, for feeding the pockets along the path with any law of motion.
The present invention also relates to an automatic machine.
According to the present invention, there is provided an automatic machine comprising a conveyor for conveying articles and in turn comprising a number of pockets movable along a path; said conveyor being characterized by comprising at least one primary of a linear electric motor located along at least one portion of said path, and a secondary of said linear electric motor associated with each pocket to feed the pocket along said portion of the path; and said machine being characterized by comprising at least one further conveyor for feeding said articles along at least one further path cooperating with said path.